Container construction



March 12, 1957 R. E. BAUER 3 9 CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION Filed Oct. 14, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet l l l I I 1 'l I l l J March 12, 1957 R. E. BAUER CONTAINER CONSTRUCTION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 14, 1954 dimmer consriiuorloN the r; erminat -V, hppiicatihn scant-14, 1554, Serial in. 462,252 2 them. (mar-5s M11 if. p p This mventlon relates to new and useful improvements containers for bakedgoods s uchcas pies and gther commodities,; More. particularly, the invention relates :to new and useful improvementsin: the construction of contaii ershaving an open top for the purpose of yisual inspection of the contents, and is acontinuation- .i-n-part of my copending application Serial No. 167,510,

filed June 12, 1950,. now abandoned.

Prior {to the present invention, containers of this type su a'lly were made by die cutting an opening in the top or- ,the lid of thecontainerto provide a window. This method of manufacturing window containers addedto t th eir clost because of the relatively. large portion of the paperboardgrequired for the topsor lid portion .of the blanlgqand the amount; of paperboard which was wasted A?! utt 11i th in w sw e Th -i a blank .f *pa erbo d co ers. of t is t pe n n w s initial. plank is substantially rectangular and, has, a miniof cut-away or cut-out portions therein Furthermore the present type window con tainers have a portion ptzpaperboard on the top of; the eontainer lying alongside ofithe open upper, surfaceof the container thereby decreasing the Window area and amount of the contents ,which-imaybe seen and giving theimpression that the contents is smaller than it actually-niay be.

I With the foregoing in mind, the principal object of the presentinvention is to provide a novel window-type containerwrnade, fromasingle piece of paperboard or like t naterial in which there is-aminimum amount of waste material while providing greater visibility of the contents with, more complete protection to the contents.

- Another object of the present invention is to provide ,a, novel window type container which is constructed to provide top cornerportions overlying the container and {defining with the side wall portions thereof a window {openingin the top of the container which is of comparatively larger area than window openings in prior containers of like size. N r a A further object of the present invention is .to provide a novel type container for baked goods or like objects jn which novel arrangements of overlapping portions of 'the container act as a reinforcement for the side and end walls thereof. i l i These and other objects of the invention and the varions features and details of the construction thereof are {@ElgS. 4, and 6, respectively, are perspective views showing .successive steps in the assembly of the container from the flat blank of paperboard. I a

Fig. 7 is a sectional view ,on line 7 -7,.Fig. 6; and Fig. 8 is a sectional view on line 88, Fig. 6.

U cdstates a a e The [triangular 55 i their hypotenuses div g '3 2,784,900 r lilatented Mar. H12 1957 Thecontain er I tten s fi atwttethe pnfi utat t h wn l ondfolded on scored lines, as more fully described hereina er It w l beohse v hat hab a k is 0f n r- Y r n t s a ta qt s ver l are sr q fi only slightly less, than the areaof a rectza ngle completely n s h anhlfith that i a min mtim amount of Waste material in a container made from such tibllank- 1: :1

re ar fu tl'n he bl iik; .l m es en ly quadrangular central portion ll which, when the conia t ri mb es n tii s he as 9 th 2 n a si Extending outwardly from opposite edges of the, eentrlal portion or base 11 are side wall portions, 12, 12a, 12b and 12cof thecontainer, respectively, which are formed as an integral part of the central. portion or base The blank is scoredas indicatedat i7 along the junctions of the base aha side wall portions so tha't the latter may be folded relative to the base. In addition, small tabs 13 are cut from the side wall portions along the score lines 17 to provide, at the bottorri the. side Wan in the assembled container; srriall openings for the circulation of hilt f .7 t

I H i 14 overlie. tli'ec rnerS aftfthe .top io f are c.oritfa 1ner-,.1 are connected in pairs to "the side walls. 125. sham n the opposite. cornersthereor and project therefrom Tendwise tit thebl'ahli, with i 'l a i wardly away from each other. Thehblanli is scored as indieated at 29st the junction of the triangnlarportions fl with the sidewall portions to allow the triangular portions to be easily folded with respect to the;frorit and rear walls; Projecting laterally outward of the blank 16 rrernjesch, of the triangular portions 12t a, tab portion'Z'Z which is connected to the triangularportion l ialong the scored lines 23. As shown clearly in ,Fig. 2 of the drawing, the tabs 22 each tapers in width in a direction outwardly of the blank as indicated at 24and terminate at their eirtremity in an enlarged curvilinear tongue 25. .The tongues 25 each have a rounded end 26 which defines alre'cess 27 with the adjacent tapered edge of the tab 22 and an oppositely disposed "end tapers sharply to a point 28 and defines with theadjacenttapered edgeof the tab 22 an angular notch 29.. lnad'dition, as shown in the drawings and for a purpose hereinafter set forth, ther'e is provided at the' opposite endedgesfof feacfh of "the "side wall portions 12b and a small offset or projecting lip portion 13 which'is integral with its side wall portion and lies in the plane thereof.- I

In the assembled container 10 the tab portions 22 extend downwardly over the exterior of the side walls 12 and 12aand have their tongues 25 inserted into slots 30 formed in said side walls 12 and 12a Two such slots 30 are provided in each ofthe contaiiier walls 12 arid 12a. As shown in the drawings,,the'fslots30 are of angula'r configuration and are formedin the walls 12 and 12a so that in the assembled container the slots 30 are of inverted v shap'e configuration. It is to be noted'that the distance between the opposite ends of each of the slots 30 is less than the distance between thetongue end portions 26 and 28 in a direction longitudinally of the blank 16 so that when the tongues have been inserted in the slots 12 as hereinafter described, the opposite ends of the slots are interlockingl-y, engaged in the recess 2 7;and notch 29 of-each of the tongues 25 as shown in Fig. 1 of'the drawings.

arsataoo In the assembled container the small projecting lips 13 of the wall portion 12b and 120 are disposed outwardly of the opposite end edges of the adjacent side wall portions 12 and 12a of the container (see Fig. 1) and constitute abutments or stops to prevent displacement of the walls 12b and 120 inwardly between the ends of the wall portions 12 and 12a. Alternative and in addition to the lip portions 13, the side wall portions 12 and 12:; may be provided at their upper edges with a projecting lip portion 31. The lip portion 31 extends continuously between the inner edges of the pair of tab portions which overlie each side wall 12 and 12c and the opposite ends of the lips are disposed closely adjacent the edges of the tab portions and constitute abutments or stops to prevent inward displacement of the tab portions along the side walls 12 and 12a. This construction further assists in maintaining the side wall portions 12b and 120 against displacement inwardly between the wall portion 12 and 12a while at the same time bringing the height of the exposed upper edge portion of the side walls 12 and 12a substantially level with the top surface of the adjacent triangular portions 14. Moreover, the container construction of the present invention, by reason of the absence of any direct connection between the ends of adjacent wall portions, provides a container in which air may circulate through the corners between the side walls of the container, a distinct advantage when foods, such as pies and other baked goods, are packaged in the containers.

To assemble the containers from the blank 16 the side walls 12, 12a, 12b and 120 are first folded on the scored lines 17 to upstanding positions at right angles to the bottom portion 11 of the .container, for example, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings. While the side walls are retained in their vertical positions, the tab portions 22 with their tongues 25 are folded inwardly on the scored lines 23 to positions substantially in the plane of the side walls 12 and 12a, respectively, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. The triangular portions 14 are now folded on the scored lines in the inward and downward direction to positions overlying the container 10. Simul taneously with this downward movement of the triangular portions 14 the .tab portions 22 and their tongues 25 attached thereto are caused to pass downwardly exteriorly of the side walls 12 and 12a and insert the tongues 25 inwardly of the inverted v shaped slots 30. To insure passage of the tabs 22 exteriorly of the side walls 12 and 12a and also insure that the tongues 25 enter the slots 30, the portions of the side walls 12 and 12a directly above and below the slots are bowed inwardly and outwardly, respectively, for example, by pressure applied at and in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 8 of the drawings, thereby opening up the slots 30 as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 of the drawings.

As the triangular portions 14 of the container are turned downwardly as previously described, a rotational movement is imparted to the tongues 25 about an axis coincident with the scored lines 23. This causes the rounded end 26 of the tongues 25 to first enter the slots 30 as shown in Fig. 6, followed by the remaining curvilinear edge. of the tongue and finally the point 28. As the points 28 of the tongues 25 reach the end of the slots 39 the slot outer end already is positioned in the tongue recess 27 so that upon the application of downward pressure on the triangular portions 14 the points 29 of the tab tongues 25 are snapped under the inner end of its slot to engage the slot ends within the notches 2 7 and thereby interlock and secure together the several portions of the container in the relation shown in Fig. 1 to complete the assembly of the container proper, as shown in Fig. l of the drawing.

A cellophane cover 32 is provided to fit over the open surface of the container 10 to protect the contents therein and still allow the contents to be visible when packaged.

4 The cover 32 shown in the present embodiment has two opposite edges thereof.

From the foregoing it will be observed that the present invention provides a novel window-type container which may be made from a smaller piece of cardboard than the usual containers of similar size and in which novel arrangements of overlapping portions of the container act as reinforcement for the side and end walls thereof. Furthermore, the present invention provides a novel window-type container having a greater amount of visibility and which may be stacked on top of each other without the upper containers contacting or injuring the contents of the containers immediately below them.

While a certain embodiment of the present invention has been illustrated and described herein, .it is not in tended to limit the invention to such disclosures, and changes and modifications may be incorporated and embodied therein within the scope of the following claims.

I claim:

1. A paperboard container comprising a flat quadrangular bottom portion, vertically disposed side wall portions foldably connected to said bottom portion, two opposite of said side wall portions each having adjacent each of their opposite ends an inverted V-shaped slot extending generally parallel to the bottom portion, the sections of said side wall portions above and below said slots being displaceable laterally relative to one another, the other two of said side wall portions each having at their opposite ends a triangular portion foldably connected to the upper edge thereof, said triangular portions inwardly overlying the container at the top thereof with a free edge of each triangular portion extending angularly crosswise inwardly of the corners defined by the junction of adjacent side wall portions, a tab portion integral with each triangular portion at the outer side thereof and extending downwardly at right angles thereto over the exterior of said opposite side wall portions, said tab portions each having a tongue at its extremity, the leading edge portion of said tongues operable to initially engage and enter the central section of said slots upon folding said triangular portions downwardly about said other side wall portions to a position overlying the corners of said container, said tongues each having oppositely disposed endwise projections engaged under the edges of its slot and defining with the edges of the tab portion a recess and notch in which the opposite edge portions of the slot are received, lip portions integral with and projecting laterally outward from opposite ends of said other side wall portions and disposed outwardly adjacent the end edges of said opposite side wall portions operable to prevent displacement of said other side walls inwardly between said opposite side walls during downward folding of said triangular portions, and lip portions integral with and projecting outwardly from said opposite side walls in the plane thereof extending continuously between the inner edges of the overlying triangular portions to prevent inward displacement of said triangular portions along said opposite side walls.

2. A paperboard container comprising a flat quadrangular bottpm portion, vertically disposed side wall portions foldably connected to said bottom portion, two opposite of said side wall portions each having adjacent each of their opposite ends an inverted V-shaped slot extending generally parallel to the bottom portion, the sections of said side wall portions above and below said slots being displaceable laterally relative to one another, the other two of said side wall portions each having at their opposite ends a partial top wall portion foldably connected to the upper edge thereof, said partial top wall portions inwardly overlying the container at the top thereof with a free edge of each partial top wall portion extending crosswise of the box inwardly of the said other two side wall portions, a tab portion integral with each partial top wall portion at the outer side thereof and extending downwardly at right angles thereto over the S exterior of said opposite side wall portions, said tab portions each having a tongue at its extremity, the leading edge portion of said tongues operable to initially engage and enter the central section of said slots upon folding said partial top wall portions downwardly about said other side wall portions to a position overlying the corners of said containers said tongues each having at the leading edge portion thereof a rounded portion operable to initially engage the center of said slot and at the trailing edge portion thereof an endwise projection engaged under the edge of its slot and defining with the edge of the tab portion a recess and notch in which the opposite edge portions of the slot are received, and lip portions integral with and projecting laterally outward from opposite ends of said other side wall portions and disposed outwardly adjacent the end edges of said opposite side wall portions operable to prevent displacement of said 6 other side walls inwardly between said opposite side walls during downward folding of said triangular portions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,592,374 Lytle July 13, 1926 1,994,803 Atkins Mar. 19, 1935 1,996,965 Keppler Apr. 9, 1935 2,074,314 Fleischer Mar. 16, 1937 2,234,402 Frankenstein Mar. 11, 1941 2,568,204 Reeser Sept. 18, 1951 2,646,916 Meller July 28, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,019,649 France Apr. 7, 1950 

